Wednesday, February 16, 2005

Wal-Mart Sucks

I'm enjoying the anti-Wal Mart flavor that this blog has had the past few days, so I'll continue it today. Here is a story that details Wal-Mart's attempt to place a store right next door to a Union hall:

Friday was a historic day for the UAW. "White Shirt Day" is a time union members remembering the start of the union.

With that backdrop, some labor leaders may take action against the arrival of Wal-Mart in Grand Blanc Township.

The union hall for UAW Local 1292 is right next door to where they want to put a non-union Super Wal-Mart and Sam's Club.

Just this week, the company announced plans to close a store in Canada after workers welcomed a union. That event is helping to push the UAW into action.

Although 800 jobs could be created by the development anchored by a Super Wal-Mart and Sam's Club, likely none of those workers will belong to a union.

That infuriates some of the leadership of the UAW.

Here's what I don't get. Conservatives like to hold up Wal-Mart as a paragon of virtue, because they're just so damn capitalist, but at what point will Wal-Mart stop hurting itself with all the bad PR? You can't tell me the child labor infractions, the illegal immigrant hiring, and all the communities nationwide that have fought against Super Centers aren't seeping into the nation's conscience. And ask K-Mart how hard it is to change consumer's opinion once they start looking at your store less than favorably.

If Wal-Mart was really smart they wouldn't put themselves into so many political situations. But the Waltons are crazy right wingers so there's not much chance of that happening.